Winterize Your Home
As the weeks pass by, cold weather is creeping closer and closer. If you are not a cold weather fan like me, this does not have to mean all gloom and doom. The cold weather means the upcoming of the holiday season! Don’t let cold weather freeze your pipes, and your holiday spirit, as you and your family prepare for the holidays with costumes, turkeys, and gingerbread houses!
We were able to find a wonderful article at about.com that will help you to ensure that your home will be ready when Jack Frost comes knocking at your door!
To read the article in its entirety please click here.
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The cold winter months can wreak havoc on your home’s plumbing system
if you aren’t prepared for the temperature drop. Frozen water in pipes can
be inconvenient at best and destructive at worst. As a good preventive
measure get ready for winter with this winterize plumbing checklist.
1. Fix Leaks
Even the smallest water leak can turn into a big problem when
temperatures drop. Take the time to check all exposed pipes indoors and
out for leaks. If you wait for the water to freeze the damage to surrounding
pipes is likely to be more significant. If your pipes are insulated feel for
moisture that might have been soaked up by the insulation if there is a
hidden leak.
2. Insulate Pipes
A basic preventive measure you can take is to make sure that any exposed
pipes are well insulated. To locate exposed pipes look in your attic, crawl
space, and garage. If you can see the pipe it needs to be wrapped with
insulation foam. Pipe wrap insulation is inexpensive and easy to install and
it can save you on heating costs as well as keeping your pipes protected. More »
3. Swamp Cooler
An evaporative cooler, also known as a swamp cooler, is another source of
water that needs to be drained before winter. To winterize your swamp
cooler turn off the water and power to the unit first. Drain the water out of
the cooler and the water supply line to the unit as well. This is a good time
to clean the interior and change the pads. Finally, cover the swamp cooler
with a cover or tarp to keep it dry over the winter months.
4. Pump House
Prevention and planning are key for a smooth winter season when your
water comes from a well. Proper insulation of the pump houses can keep
pipes from freezing. For added protection it is important to insulate any
exposed pipes in the pump house. A heat source is also needed to keep the
temperature of the pump house above freezing.
5. Outside Hose Bibs
Protecting the hose bibs and pipes from the cold is very important. Start by
removing any garden hoses that may be connected to outdoor faucets. By
removing garden hoses you ensure that water doesn’t stay trapped in the
hose bib where it can freeze and damage pipes. Drain any water the hoses
may have in them before storing. Protect garden hoses by storing them in
the garage or shed during winter.
To protect hose bibs from the cold you can drain collected water and
insulate them. In places where temperatures drop significantly every
winter many homes have dedicated shut off valves for outdoor hose bibs or
faucets. If you happen to have a shut off valve you can turn the water to the
hose bibs off. You will then need to drain any water that is already in the
pipes. This can be done by opening the hose bibs and letting the water
drain completely. If you don’t have a shut off valve you can protect hose
bibs and outdoor faucets by insulating them with hose bib covers. Hose bib
covers are inexpensive and easy to install. The insulation that these foam
covers provide will keep the hose bibs from freezing. More »
6. Sprinklers System
The pipes of your irrigation system are a likely place for water to collect
and then freeze in cold weather. To winterize your sprinkler system turn off
the water and flush out any collected water by turning on each valve. More »
7. Locate Your Water Main
Lastly you should be sure to locate your water main in case of an
emergency. Should you be faced with a burst pipe due to freezing you’ll
want to be able to shut off the water quickly to minimize damage.
We also wanted to provide you with a quick tip of our own in case of frozen pipes in your home.
If you notice that you have a frozen pipe but it has not yet burst you may be able to thaw it out by yourself. An interesting fact to know is that pipes do not break at the point of the freeze. They break somewhere down the line where the water pressure is building up because it can not get past the freeze. Because of this it’s important to thaw the pipe as soon as possible if you can get to it. Click here to be taken to the Frozen Pipes page on our main website which has detailed instructions on how to thaw out your own pipe at home. The instructions are located toward the bottom of the page.
